Wash.Texas Reads

[Bob <BDeBuhr@EXCITE.COM>]

Becky from Texas (and thank you George for passing along)I hope you are
getting your techno troubles worked out.
I found your infomation of great interest - particularly as it related to
the section of programs.  The focus has become very-very narrow up here.
The Office of State Superintendent called in an "independent panel of
experts - mainly (they said) from higher education - to see if various
programs met the NRP criteria".  That resulted in only one program meeting
all the criteria - Open Court.  The other 5 had to be accompanied by another
program to "make them acceptable" - almost all needed (in their opinion)
supplemental phonics! We were given a list of Web Sites - all commercial
based.
We have tried keeping our literiture-based program in place and write for
the supplemental but were told we can't do that.  We don't consider
ourselves "broken" and are looking for filling some gaps, but are being told
we need to start over.
They have narrow it down to K-3. We must hire a "reading coach", we must
attend a summer institute, we must send our coach and our prinipal (me) to a
state offered workshop once and everyother month respectively.
Several eligible schools in the state have opted out - but our board is so
excited about the $$$$$.
Oh, and you can't buy any equipment with this grant anymore. So, if we
wanted a computer based program we'd have to use what old stuff we have.
Besides that, after you get done with the "have toos" there is not much $
left.
Do appreaciate your positive spin on it, it helps - a little bit:-)





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